# Law No. 6170 of December 9, 1974

> Brazilian law

**Wikidata**: [Q105659975](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q105659975)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/law-no-6170-of-december-9-1974

## Summary
Law No. 6170 of December 9, 1974, is a Brazilian federal statute enacted to authorize a special budgetary adjustment known as a "Credito Especial." Promulgated by President Ernesto Geisel, this law specifically allocates funds for expenses related to the Ministry of Justice and Public Security. It serves as a formal written legal instrument within the Brazilian legislative framework, establishing specific financial mandates for the federal government.

## Key Facts
- **Official Title:** Lei nº 6170, de 9 de dezembro de 1974.
- **Legal Citation:** Lei nº 6170/1974.
- **Classification:** Statute (a formal written document that creates law).
- **Country of Origin:** Brazil (Federative Republic of Brazil).
- **Jurisdiction:** Applies exclusively to the jurisdiction of Brazil.
- **Date of Enactment:** December 9, 1974.
- **Promulgation Date:** December 9, 1974.
- **Place of Publication:** Brasília, Brazil.
- **Approving Authority:** Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil.
- **Promulgating Official:** Ernesto Geisel (served as President at the time).
- **Primary Subject:** Special budgetary adjustment (stated as "Credito Especial").
- **Specific Allocation:** Expenses (stated as "Despesa") designated for the Ministry of Justice and Public Security (stated as "Ministerio Da Justiça (Mj)").
- **Language:** Brazilian Portuguese.
- **LexML ID:** urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1974-12-09;6170.
- **Official Online Source:** https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1970-1979/l6170.htm.
- **Wikidata Description:** Brazilian law.
- **Instance Of:** Statute.

## FAQs
**What is the primary purpose of Law No. 6170/1974?**
The law functions as a mechanism for a special budgetary adjustment, specifically authorizing the creation of a "Credito Especial." Its main objective is to allocate specific funds designated as expenses for the operational needs of the Ministry of Justice and Public Security.

**Who was responsible for enacting this legislation?**
The statute was approved and promulgated by the Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil under the leadership of President Ernesto Geisel. The act of promulgation occurred on December 9, 1974, finalizing the legislative process for this specific budgetary measure.

**Where can the full text of this law be accessed?**
The official text is available in Brazilian Portuguese through the Brazilian government's digital archives. It can be accessed via the Planalto website at the specific URL provided for laws enacted between 1970 and 1979, as well as through the LexML Brazil repository.

**What specific government body benefits from this law?**
The legislation explicitly targets the Ministry of Justice and Public Security (Ministerio Da Justiça). It directs the authorized special credit and associated expenses to support the functions and requirements of this specific ministry.

## Why It Matters
Law No. 6170 of December 9, 1974, represents a critical instrument of fiscal management within the Brazilian federal government during the Geisel administration. By establishing a "Credito Especial," the law addresses immediate financial needs that may not have been covered in the original annual budget, ensuring the continuity of operations for the Ministry of Justice and Public Security. This mechanism allows the executive branch to respond to unforeseen or urgent expenditures without waiting for a full legislative cycle to amend the general budget.

The statute exemplifies the procedural rigor of Brazilian administrative law, where specific financial authorizations are codified as formal statutes rather than informal decrees. Its existence ensures legal certainty for public spending, providing a clear statutory basis for the allocation of resources to the justice sector. For historians and legal scholars, this law serves as a data point for understanding the fiscal priorities and administrative structure of Brazil in the mid-1970s. It reinforces the principle that even specific budgetary adjustments require formal legislative enactment to be valid, maintaining the separation of powers and the rule of law in financial matters.

## Notable For
- **Specific Budgetary Mechanism:** It is a documented example of a "Credito Especial" (Special Credit) used to adjust federal finances in 1974.
- **Targeted Allocation:** Uniquely focuses its financial authorization on the Ministry of Justice and Public Security rather than a broad general fund.
- **Historical Context:** Enacted during the presidency of Ernesto Geisel, a key period in Brazil's political history.
- **Formal Classification:** Recognized as a "statute," distinguishing it from executive orders or temporary decrees in legal taxonomy.
- **Digital Preservation:** Fully indexed in the LexML Brazil system with a unique URN identifier for long-term archival access.
- **Language Specificity:** Written and published exclusively in Brazilian Portuguese, reflecting the official language of the jurisdiction.
- **Jurisdictional Scope:** Strictly applies to the Federative Republic of Brazil, with no extraterritorial claims.

## Body

### Definition and Legal Classification
Law No. 6170 of December 9, 1974, is classified as a **statute**, which is defined as a formal written document that creates law. In the context of Brazilian jurisprudence, this entity falls under the broader category of acts passed by the legislature or approved by the executive within the legislative framework. It is an instance of a "legal term or legal concept" and serves as a subclass of "written work," "document," and "rule." The law functions as the physical manifestation of statutory law, providing the concrete evidence of the legal rule enacted by the government. Unlike abstract legal theories, this statute is the tangible record of the "Credito Especial" authorized for the state.

### Legislative History and Promulgation
The legislative process for this statute culminated on **December 9, 1974**. On this date, the law was approved by the **Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil**. The specific official responsible for the promulgation was **Ernesto Geisel**, who served as the President of Brazil at the time. The act of promulgation was the final step in the legislative process, transforming the draft law into a binding legal norm. The law was officially published in **Brasília**, the federal capital of Brazil, on the same day it was promulgated. This timeline places the enactment firmly within the political and administrative context of the mid-1970s Brazilian government.

### Subject Matter and Financial Provisions
The core subject of Law No. 6170 is a **special budgetary adjustment**. In the specific terminology of the law, this is stated as **"Credito Especial"**. This type of adjustment is designed to authorize expenditures that were not foreseen in the original budget or to increase existing budgetary allocations. The law explicitly defines the nature of the funds as **"Despesa"** (expense). These expenses are not distributed generally but are specifically destined for the **Ministry of Justice and Public Security**. In the official records, this ministry is referred to as **"Ministerio Da Justiça (Mj)"**. The law effectively creates a legal pathway for funds to be transferred to this ministry to meet specific operational needs or unforeseen costs.

### Jurisdiction and Applicability
The authority of Law No. 6170 is strictly limited to the **Federative Republic of Brazil**. It applies to the entire national jurisdiction of Brazil, governing federal entities and institutions within its borders. The law does not extend to other nations or international territories. Its validity is tied to the Brazilian legal system and the specific constitutional framework in place in 1974. The language of the work is **Brazilian Portuguese**, which is the official language of the country and the medium through which the legal text is communicated and interpreted.

### Identification and Archival Data
To ensure precise identification and retrieval, the law is assigned several unique identifiers across global and national knowledge systems:
- **LexML Brazil ID:** `urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1974-12-09;6170`. This URN (Uniform Resource Name) is the standard identifier for Brazilian federal legislation within the LexML ecosystem.
- **Legal Citation:** The standard citation format for this text is **Lei nº 6170/1974**.
- **Wikidata Description:** The entity is described simply as "Brazilian law" in the Wikidata knowledge base.
- **Online Access:** The full text is available at the official government portal: `https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1970-1979/l6170.htm`.
- **Reference Dates:** The data regarding this law was last accessed and referenced in knowledge bases on dates such as January 28, 2021, and February 17, 2021, confirming its continued archival status.

### Relationship to Broader Legal Concepts
This statute is a specific instance of the general concept of a **statute**. As a statute, it is part of the broader category of "legislation" and is caused by the act of "legislation." It follows the procedural requirement of "draft laws" before becoming an official "legal act." Structurally, the law is composed of "legal norms" and serves as a part of the broader concepts of "law" and "legal act." Its creation results in "statutory law," which is the body of law created by legislative acts. The law is distinct from general concepts of "legislation" in that it is a specific, written document with a defined date and subject matter.

### Administrative Context
The law was enacted during a period of significant administrative activity in Brazil. The involvement of the **Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil** highlights the executive branch's role in the finalization of budgetary laws. The specific designation of the **Ministry of Justice and Public Security** indicates that the funds were intended to support the judicial and security apparatus of the state. This reflects the government's prioritization of justice and public order during the 1974 fiscal year. The law serves as a historical record of the financial relationship between the executive branch and the Ministry of Justice at that time.

### Data Provenance and Sources
The information regarding Law No. 6170 is derived from authoritative sources including the **LexML Brazil** repository and the **Presidency of the Republic** legislative archive. The references cited in the data include URLs from `legislacao.presidencia.gov.br` and `www.lexml.gov.br`, which are official government domains. The data was verified and updated in early 2021, ensuring that the digital representation of the law remains accurate and accessible. The inclusion of qualifiers such as "stated as" for the subject matter ensures that the specific terminology used in the original 1974 text is preserved in modern knowledge graphs.

## References

1. [Source](https://www.lexml.gov.br/urn/urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1974-12-09;6170)
2. [Source](https://legislacao.presidencia.gov.br/atos?tipo=LEI&numero=6170&ano=1974&data=09/12/1974&ato=ed3k3aq5kenRVT7c6)